Le Notebook: Pau strike back, Willis delivers and France prepare for the Nations Championship
.jpg "Toulouse's Kalvin Gourgues might be one of the young French players to watch during the Nations Championship")
Toulouse's Kalvin Gourgues might be one of the young French players to watch during the Nations Championship
©Photo by Toru Hanai - Nations Championship/Nations Championship via Getty Images
There is something rather appropriate about the Top 14 producing one of its most intriguing weekends just as international rugby prepares to take centre stage.
Eight rounds in, Toulouse remain top, Bordeaux-Bègles are just one point behind and Pau have responded to their first serious setback with a statement victory over the champions.
Meanwhile, Montpellier have suddenly emerged as genuine contenders, Ronan O’Gara has problems to solve at La Rochelle and several British players continue to make significant contributions across the competition.
And now comes the Nations Championship.
France will welcome Fiji, South Africa and Argentina during November, offering Fabien Galthié the opportunity to assess the strength of a squad drawn largely from what remains Europe’s most demanding domestic competition.
But before turning our attention to Les Bleus, there is plenty to discuss from Round Eight.
Pau answer the questions
Last week’s Notebook questioned whether Pau could recover from their 41-20 defeat at Toulon.
They answered emphatically.
Sunday evening’s 34-14 victory over Toulouse at Stade du Hameau was precisely the response their supporters wanted.
Facundo Isa scored twice, Joe Simmonds contributed 14 points with the boot and Beka Gorgadze completed the scoring with a late converted try.
For Pau, this was about more than collecting four league points.
They had suffered a chastening experience at Toulon, where their defensive weaknesses were exposed. Against Toulouse, they demonstrated considerably greater physicality and discipline.
There is an important qualification. Toulouse were missing several established internationals and fielded a relatively inexperienced side, although Pau were also affected by French squad call-ups.
Nevertheless, the victory moves Pau within two points of Toulouse.
Six victories from eight matches suggest their early-season form was no accident. The challenge now is sustaining it.
Bordeaux and Willis Watch
Bordeaux-Bègles continue to demonstrate that championship contenders must find ways to win even when their attacking rugby isn’t particularly convincing.
Saturday’s 19-14 victory over Bayonne was a perfect example.
Having led 14-0, Bordeaux allowed their visitors back into the contest before 19-year-old Hugo Avogadro scored the decisive try in the closing minutes. It was his third try in three Top 14 appearances.
Yet the final contribution belonged to Tom Willis.
With Bayonne threatening another score, the England No.8 secured a crucial breakdown turnover that effectively settled the contest.
We have followed Willis’s impressive attacking statistics throughout the opening weeks, particularly his five tries in his first six league appearances.
Meanwhile, older brother Jack continues to represent Toulouse with distinction, having collected consecutive Top 14 Player of the Year awards.
Their success raises a familiar question as England prepare for the Nations Championship.
How long can two outstanding English-qualified forwards remain outside international consideration because they play their club rugby in France?
The RFU’s overseas selection policy remains an obstacle, but their performances ensure the debate will continue.
Montpellier: Ten tries and a warning
If Pau provided the weekend’s most significant result, Montpellier (4th) delivered its most emphatic performance.
A remarkable 69-10 victory over Castres featured 10 tries and lifted Montpellier into fourth place.
Scottish fly-half Adam Hastings contributed 19 points, while Wales international Adam Beard started in the second row and Stuart Hogg appeared from the bench.
Montpellier’s British connections have become an increasingly interesting feature of their development.
But it is their collective improvement that deserves attention.
Their impressive 32-14 European victory at Bath suggested they were becoming more formidable. Sunday’s performance provided further evidence.
Perhaps the most telling statistic is a defensive one. Montpellier have conceded just 149 points in eight league matches, the best record in the Top 14.
For a side capable of scoring 69 points in an afternoon, that balance between attack and defence is particularly encouraging.
O’Gara’s La Rochelle face another examination
While Montpellier are climbing, La Rochelle (9th) are struggling for consistency.
Their 43-24 defeat at Stade Français followed a home loss against Bordeaux, leaving Ronan O’Gara’s side ninth after eight rounds.
Stade Français hooker Giacomo Nicotera scored a hat-trick as the Parisian forwards repeatedly troubled La Rochelle.
For O’Gara, whose European achievements transformed the club’s reputation, the challenge is restoring the physical authority and defensive reliability that once made La Rochelle so difficult to beat.
Their next meeting with Bayonne on Sunday offers an immediate opportunity to respond.
Toulon’s British connection
Toulon’s (6th) 25-24 victory at Perpignan also deserves attention.
England-qualified second-row Junior Kpoku scored the winning try in the final moments, securing Toulon’s first away league victory of the season.
Lewis Ludlam captained a side featuring David Ribbans and Zach Mercer, with Kyle Sinckler and Scotland scrum-half Ben White among the replacements.
Toulon now sit sixth.
For British supporters, they remain one of the most interesting clubs to follow, not least because so many former Premiership names are contributing to their revival.
From the Top 14 to the Nations Championship
France begin their November Nations Championship programme against Fiji in Lyon on Saturday 7 November, followed by South Africa in Paris on Friday 13 November and Argentina on Saturday 21 November.
Those three fixtures provide a fascinating examination of Galthié’s squad.
Fiji bring pace, unpredictability and players familiar with French club rugby. South Africa offer the physical challenge of the world champions, while Argentina provide another demanding encounter before the competition’s Finals Weekend in London.
Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Grégory Alldritt and other established internationals remain central to France’s plans, but the Top 14 continues to develop younger alternatives.
Pau’s Émilien Gailleton, Toulouse’s Kalvin Gourgues and Bayonne’s Esteban Capilla are among those included in the French squad.
Their selections demonstrate how closely international development is linked to the Top 14.
And there is another interesting dimension.
Top 14 clubs will continue playing during the international window.
With Toulouse, Bordeaux, Pau and other leading sides losing players to national squads, November could become a significant test of squad depth.
The clubs best equipped to cope with those absences may emerge with an advantage when their internationals return.
Road to Australia: The Iberian connection
Our continuing interest in Spain and Portugal also provides another reason to follow French rugby closely.
Portugal winger Rodrigo Marta has already scored six Top 14 tries for Pau, adding two more against Leicester in Europe.
Spain international Joël Merkler continues his development at Toulouse, gaining valuable experience within one of Europe’s strongest forward environments.
Both illustrate the importance of French professional rugby in developing players from emerging European nations.
With Rugby World Cup 2027 approaching, their progress deserves attention.
A fascinating November awaits
After eight rounds, Toulouse lead with 28 points, Bordeaux have 27 and Pau 26.
Montpellier’s emergence has added another dimension, while Toulon, Lyon and Stade Français remain firmly involved in the contest for the play-off positions.
Yet November may prove as important for what happens away from the Top 14 as within it.
France’s international ambitions will dominate the headlines - especially that mouth-watering clash with South Africa - but the domestic championship will continue to test the resources and resilience of its leading clubs.
For English supporters, the Willis brothers and the growing number of familiar names across French rugby provide additional interest.
And for those of us following the Top 14 throughout the season, one question remains particularly compelling.
Can the competition’s extraordinary domestic strength translate into another successful international campaign for France? We are about to find out.
